Tothill Range SA

S ummary of Plots on the Tothill

Range

2012-2018

View towards the, Tothill Range SA

Acknowledgments

TERN gratefully acknowledges the owners of the Tothill Range Reserve, in particular John Smyth for his invaluable support and help in the project and for allowing access to the property. Thanks also to the many volunteers, in particular Irene Martín Forés, Tamara Ptter and Graeme Finlayson who helped to collect, curate and process the data and samples.

Contents

Introduction ...... 1 Accessing the Data ...... 3 Point intercept data ...... 3 Plant collections ...... 3 Leaf tissue samples ...... 3 Site description information ...... 3 Structural summary ...... 3 Leaf Area Index ...... 3 Basal area ...... 3 Soil meta barcoding samples ...... 4 3D photo panorama ...... 4 Regional Context ...... 6 Uses of AusPlots Data from Tothill Range ...... 10 Assessing drought sensitivity in plants using stable carbon isotopes ...... 10 Potential decoupling of plant and ant communities under climate change ...... 10 Opportunities for Integrated Ecological Analysis across Inland Australia with Standardised Data from Ausplots Rangelands ...... 10 Floristic and structural assessment of Australian rangeland vegetation with standardized plot based surveys ...... 10 Variation in chain-length of leaf wax n-alkanes in plants and soils across Australia...... 10 The Biomes of Australian Soil Environments ...... 11 The extent of forest in dryland biomes ...... 11 Herbarium Collections ...... 11 For more information ...... 11 Appendices ...... 12

Appendix 1. Plot locations ...... 12 Appendix 2. Point intercept data ...... 13 Appendix 3. Substrate and growth form ...... 14 Appendix 4. Structural Summary ...... 15 Appendix 5. Plant collection ...... 16

Introduction Beginning in November 2012, the Terrestrial Ecosystems Research Network (TERN), undertook surveys on the Tothill Range, South Australia. The plot was revisited in 2018. The surveys involved vegetation and soils work following the AusPlots Rangelands methodology, with 1 plot completed. The plots are part of over 650 plots completed nationally. Figure 1 shows the TERN network, and Figure 2 shows the locations of the plots on the Tothill Range.

This report provides a snapshot of some of the data which was collected during the survey work. A more detailed description of the methods used can be found online in our AusPlots Rangelands Survey Protocols Manual (White et al. 2012), available from our website www.AusPlots.org.

Figure 1. TERN plot network

Figure 2. TERN AusPlots Rangelands plot location on the Tothill Range Topographic data used coutresy of the South Australian Government

Accessing the Data All of the data the TERN collects is freely available online through the AEKOS data portal at www.aekos.org.au. It can also be viewed on the Soils to Satellites website which contains a range of useful visualisations sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia. At http://www.soils2satellites.org.au/.

Point intercept data The point intercept method is a straightforward method that is readily repeatable and requires little instruction to produce reliable plot information. It provides accurate benchmark data at each plot including substrate type and cover; as well as species structural information such as growth form, height, cover and abundance and population vertical structure. The demographic information produced at each plot can be compared spatially to indicate plot diﬀerences, and temporally to indicate change over time. Additionally, the cover data collected at each plot can be used to validate cover data extrapolated through remote sensing techniques.

Plant collections Each species that is found within the plot has a herbarium grade sample taken. These have all been formally identified by the SA Herbarium. Much of the material is then lodged at the SA Herbarium or at the AusPlots facility in Adelaide.

Leaf tissue samples All of the above samples also have leaf tissue samples taken. This involves placing leaf samples from each species into a cloth bag and drying them on silica desiccant. All of the dominant species have an extra 4 samples collected. These samples are available for use on application to TERN facility in Adelaide. They are able to be used for genetic analysis, isotopic composition and range of other uses.

Site description information Contextual information is also collected at each plot. This includes measures of slope an aspect, surface strew and lithology, and information on the grazing and fire history of the site. The plots location is also recorded with a differential GPS and the plot corners and centres (with landholder permission) marked with a star picket.

Structural summary Detailed structural summary information is also collected at each plot. When combined with the height and cover information from the point intercept data it enables the creation of structural description compatible with and NVIS level 5 description.

Leaf Area Index In plots where a mid and/or upper canopy is present a measure of Leaf Area is recorded. The tool used is an LAI- 2200 and it captures LAI measurements in a range of canopies using one or two sensors attached to a single data logger (LI-COR 1990). The LAI data has a range of potential application such as studies of canopy growth, canopy productivity, woodland vigour, canopy fuel load, air pollution deposition, modelling insect defoliation, remote sensing, and the global carbon cycle.

Basal area Basal area measurements are collected across plots where woody biomass is taller than 2 m. Basal area measurements provide information useful for calculating biomass and carbon levels and for structural studies. The wedge aperture, the length of string – 50 cm (and hence the distance from the eye and subsequent angle from the eye to the edges of the wedge aperture) and species count are all important in calculations. Algorithms developed for use with the basal wedge include the above data to calculate plant basal area on a per hectare basis even though species are counted outside the one hectare plot area. The method is plotless but used because it is based on the

3 concept of circles (trunks/basal area) within circles (circular plots) – the area of one varies proportionally to the change in the area of the other. Use of the basal wedge may be superseded by further improvement of the 3D photo point method and development of algorithms to provide information on vegetation community structure.

Soil meta barcoding samples Metagenomics is the study of genetic material recovered directly from environmental samples. Soil metagenomics provides the opportunity to understand what organisms are present at survey plots and provides an indication on their abundance. The collection techniques result in a bias towards higher order organisms. The AusPlots on the Tothill Range has soil meta barcoding samples collected.

3D photo panorama The AusPlots method uses a three-dimensional method for photographing the site. This involves taking three 360 degree panoramas in a triangular pattern. This allows for the creation of a 3D model of the vegetation within the plot which can be used to monitor change over time, track plot condition as well as providing a unique, fast measurement of basal area and biomass. A subset of these photo panoramas is shown below.

SAAFLB0014

Regional Context

Figure 3. TERN AusPlots Rangelands plot locations close to the Tothill Range Topographic data copyright Geoscience Australia

Figure 4. Modelled 9s elevation Data from: Xu and Hutchinson, 2011. ANUCLIM Version 6.1. Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Australia.

Figure 5. Mean annual temperature Data from: Xu and Hutchinson, 2011. ANUCLIM Version 6.1. Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Australia.

Figure 6. Mean annual precipitation Climate Data from: Xu and Hutchinson, 2011. ANUCLIM Version 6.1. Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Australia.

Uses of AusPlots Data from Tothill Range The AusPlots survey method was developed out of a dire need for consistent, national scale ecological data and surveillance monitoring. To date, we have completed over 500 survey plots across the continent, including 42 as a part of the Transect for Ecological Monitoring and Decision Making (TREND) in South Australia. The data and samples collected from these surveys are being used in a range of ways to allow comparisons across the state and the continent. Some of the projects that have made use of the data and samples from Tothill Range site are listed below.

Assessing drought sensitivity in plants using stable carbon isotopes (Stefan Caddy-Retalic) In terrestrial plants, there is a trade-off between photosynthetic uptake and water loss. This means that we can use the stable carbon isotope ratio of leaves as a proxy for water stress. Stefan has measured the stable carbon isotope ratios of 151 species of native and invasive plants across a wide aridity gradient, allowing him to rank species by their sensitivity to aridity. This information can be used to predict which plants will be the most and least sensitive to ongoing climate change and can be used for conservation planning and predict how our vegetation will change.

Potential decoupling of plant and ant communities under climate change (Stefan Caddy-Retalic) Under climate change, many species will be forced to migrate to maintain suitable conditions. Plants and ants are two of the dominant groups in terrestrial ecosystems, and have tight linkages through pollination, herbivory, defence and a range of other interactions. Despite these close linkages, plants and ants may be very differently affected by predicted climate change, and forced to migrate in different ways, disrupting species interactions and ecosystem function. Stefan is using the plant and ant composition data collected at Tothill and the other TREND sites, combined with high resolution climate projections, to predict whether these terrestrial systems are likely to remain intact or degrade over the next century.

Opportunities for Integrated Ecological Analysis across Inland Australia with Standardised Data from Ausplots Rangelands (Greg Guerin)

How species abundance distributions (SADs) vary over climatic gradients is a key question for the influence of environmental change on ecosystem processes. Greg Guerin is a researcher based at the University of Adelaide. He first set up the plots on Tothill prior to the AusPlots visit. Greg has undertaken analysis on the entire plot network (Including Tothill). He has found linear relationships between SAD shape and rainfall within grassland and shrubland communities, indicating more uneven abundance in deserts and suggesting relative abundance may shift as a consequence of climate change, resulting in altered diversity and ecosystem function.

Floristic and structural assessment of Australian rangeland vegetation with standardized plot based surveys (Zdravko Baruch)

Vegetation classification at a continental scale has been lacking over the rangelands in Australia due to a lack of consistent data beyond state and regional levels. Zdravko undertook an integrated and comparative environmental, floristic and structural description of rangeland vegetation based on the AusPlots Surveys. His results offer a tentative classification scheme that is novel, ecologically sound and coherent in terms of floristic composition and structural attributes.

Variation in chain-length of leaf wax n-alkanes in plants and soils across Australia (Sian Howard) Leaf waxes are produced by plants to protect their leaves and one of their dominant components, n-alkanes, preserve well in soils and sediments and are readily used for reconstructing past vegetation and climate. Using plants and soils from Tothill and other sites, Sian found that longer-chained n-alkanes were associated with grasses and shorter-chained n-alkanes were associated with trees but that the n-alkanes in the soils were not related to that of the current dominant vegetation. This lack of correlation between current vegetation and soils suggests that n-alkanes may travel large distances and/or be retained in the surface soil despite a change in the local vegetation community.

The Biomes of Australian Soil Environments (Andrew Bissett) Soil samples from Tothill were subjected to DNA metabarcoding, a genetic screening technique for establishing the diversity of bacteria, archaea, eukaryotes and fungi. The BASE project has generated a database of microbial diversity with associated metadata across extensive environmental gradients at continental scale. As the characterisation of microbes rapidly expands, the BASE database provides an evolving platform for interrogating and integrating microbial diversity and function. BASE will evolve as a valuable tool for documenting an often overlooked component of biodiversity and the many microbe-driven processes that are essential to sustain soil function and ecosystem services.

The extent of forest in dryland biomes (Jean-Francois Bastin) The vegetation cover data from Tothill was also part of a recent mapping project undertaken by the Food and Agriculture arm of the UN. They were able to show that in 2015, 1327 million hectares of drylands had more than 10% tree-cover, and 1079 million hectares comprised forest. Their estimate is 40 to 47% higher than previous estimates, corresponding to 467 million hectares of forest that have never been reported before. This increases current estimates of global forest cover by at least 9%.

Herbarium Collections The AusPlots method works very closely with state and national herbaria to help augment their collections to enable research and to better understand species distributions. As a valuable area of native vegetation, the plant collections made at Tothill have been eagerly accepted by the South Australian and National Herbarium. These specimens are currently being professionally mounted and preserved and will form a permanent part of their collection, which is available to botanical researchers globally to support ongoing research.

For more information More information on the AusPlots method can be found on our website www.AusPlots.org

For more information regarding the survey work on the Tothill Range and assistance downloading and utilising the data from AEKOS and Soils2Satellites contact Emrys Leitch, TERN Field Survey Officer, [email protected]

For more information regarding the TERN Adelaide facility, contact Ben Sparrow, Director, [email protected]

Appendices

Appendix 1. Plot locations

Plot Name Date Location latitude longitude

SATFLB0014 20-Nov-12 Tothill Private Reserve, Tothill Range. 108km North North East of Adelaide -34.00513798 138.9593701

12 Appendix 2. Point intercept data

Plot name Herbarium ID Common name Approx. % cover

SATFLB0014 Eucalyptus odorata Peppermint box 14.67

SATFLB0014 Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata Rock grass-tree 12.18

SATFLB0014 Allocasuarina verticillata Drooping sheoak 7.72

SATFLB0014 Eucalyptus goniocalyx subsp. goniocalyx Long-leaved Box 3.77

SATFLB0014 Exocarpos cupressiformis Native Cherry 2.74

13 Appendix 3. Substrate and growth form

Approx % Approx % of Growth Plot Name Substrate substrate Plot Name Growth Form Forms SATFLB0014 Bare Ground 4.8 SATFLB0014 Shrub 51.69 SATFLB0014 Cryptogam 1.72 SATFLB0014 Tree Mallee 41.82 SATFLB0014 Coarse Woody Debris 2.57 SATFLB0014 Forb 5.32 SATFLB0014 Leaf Litter 70.07 SATFLB0014 Vine 0.65 SATFLB0014 Outcrop 0.26 SATFLB0014 Fern 0.39 SATFLB0014 Rock 20.58 SATFLB0014 Tussock grass 0.13

14 Appendix 4. Structural Summary

Plot name Structural description

SAAFLB0014 Eucalyptus odorata / Allocasuarina verticillata / Eucalyptus goniocalyx subsp. goniocalyx mixed woodland with a mid layer of Exocarpos cupressiformis Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata and a ground layer of Lepidosperma viscidum and Lomandra densiflora

15 Appendix 5. Plant collection * Denotes introduced species

Plot name Family Herbarium determination Common name SA Cons. Status

SATFLB0014 Fabaceae Acacia pycnantha Golden Wattle

SATFLB0014 Ericaceae Acrotriche affinis Ridged Ground-berry

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Aira cupaniana Silvery Hair Grass

SATFLB0014 Casuarinaceae Allocasuarina verticillata Drooping Sheoak

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Angianthus tomentosus Hairy Angianthus

SATFLB0014 Asparagaceae Arthropodium strictum Chocolate Lily

SATFLB0014 Ericaceae Astroloma humifusum Cranberry Heath

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Austrostipa breviglumis Bamboo Spear-grass Rare Species

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Austrostipa elegantissima Elegant Spear-grass

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Austrostipa hemipogon Half-bearded Spear-grass

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Austrostipa mollis Soft Spear-grass

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Austrostipa sp.

SATFLB0014 Pittosporaceae Bursaria spinosa subsp. spinosa

SATFLB0014 Portulacaceae Calandrinia calyptrata Pink Purslane

SATFLB0014 Myrtaceae Calytrix tetragona Common Fringe-myrtle

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Cassinia complanata Smooth Cassinia

SATFLB0014 Lauraceae Cassytha melantha Coarse Dodder-laurel

SATFLB0014 Pteridaceae Cheilanthes austrotenuifolia Rock Fern

SATFLB0014 Chenopodiaceae Chenopodium desertorum subsp. microphyllum

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Chrysocephalum apiculatum Common Everlasting

SATFLB0014 Hemerocallidaceae Dianella revoluta var. revoluta

SATFLB0014 Sapindaceae Dodonaea viscosa subsp. cuneata

SATFLB0014 Droseraceae Drosera peltata Pale Sundew

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Ehrharta longiflora Annual Veldgrass

SATFLB0014 Chenopodiaceae Einadia nutans subsp. nutans

SATFLB0014 Geraniaceae *Erodium cicutarium Alfilaree

SATFLB0014 Myrtaceae Eucalyptus goniocalyx subsp. goniocalyx

SATFLB0014 Myrtaceae Eucalyptus odorata Peppermint Box

SATFLB0014 Santalaceae Exocarpos cupressiformis Cherry Ballart

SATFLB0014 Haloragaceae Gonocarpus elatus Hill raspwort

SATFLB0014 Haloragaceae Gonocarpus mezianus Hairy Raspwort

SATFLB0014 Goodeniaceae Goodenia blackiana Black's Goodenia

SATFLB0014 Proteaceae Hakea carinata

SATFLB0014 Dilleniaceae Hibbertia crinita Mount Hope Guinea-flower

SATFLB0014 Dilleniaceae Hibbertia exutiacies

SATFLB0014 Violaceae Hybanthus floribundus Shrub Violet

SATFLB0014 Violaceae Hybanthus floribundus subsp. floribundus

SATFLB0014 Cyperaceae Lepidosperma viscidum Sticky Sword-sedge

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Lolium rigidum Annual Ryegrass

Plot name Family Herbarium determination Common name SA Cons. Status

SATFLB0014 Asparagaceae Lomandra densiflora

SATFLB0014 Asparagaceae Lomandra multiflora subsp. dura

SATFLB0014 Juncaceae Luzula densiflora

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Millotia tenuifolia var. tenuifolia Soft Millotia

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Olearia teretifolia Cypress Daisy-bush

SATFLB0014 Rubiaceae Opercularia turpis Grey Stinkweed

SATFLB0014 Rutaceae Philotheca verrucosa Bendigo Wax-flower Vulnerable species

SATFLB0014 Thymelaeaceae Pimelea stricta Erect Rice-flower

SATFLB0014 Plantaginaceae Plantago sp. Kopakopa

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Poa crassicaudex

SATFLB0014 Lamiaceae Prostanthera behriana Behr's Mint Bush

SATFLB0014 Fabaceae Pultenaea kraehenbuehlii Tothill Bush-pea Rare Species

SATFLB0014 Poaceae Rytidosperma setaceum Smallflower Wallaby Grass

SATFLB0014 Santalaceae Santalum acuminatum Quandong

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Senecio quadridentatus Auricled Groundsel

SATFLB0014 Rhamnaceae Spyridium parvifolium Dusty Miller

SATFLB0014 Celastraceae Stackhousia monogyna Candles

SATFLB0014 Plantaginaceae Veronica plebeia Creeping Speedwell

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Vittadinia cuneata var. cuneata

SATFLB0014 Asteraceae Vittadinia gracilis Woolly New Holland Daisy

SATFLB0014 Poaceae *Vulpia myuros f. myuros

SATFLB0014 Xanthorrhoeaceae Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata